My son only eats hotdogs is that healthy?

My son is almost 2 years old and the only thing i can really get him to eat is hotdogs. I Have tried to give hom a variety of things and I try to give him something healthy but all he wants is a hotdog. He like maccroni and cheese and trix cereal but that is normally what his day consists of. he normally eat 2-3 hotdogs a day. It just seems like i've tried everything and nothing helps. Are there any suggestion that would help him eat better.
thanks

Stop buying hot dogs would be my suggestion. He will eat something else besides hot dogs when he is hungry enough. I know when I can't get my finicky daughter to try something new I give her a dipping sauce with it, even if it is a sandwich cut up in pieces. Some things that she loves are broccoli and cheese and mashed potatoes with cheese and veggies mixed in. Feeding a toddler can be such a challenge, good luck!

If anyone has had a two year old, you know they have a mind of their own. You CANNOT force a child to eat something he doesn't want to. So don't feel guilty for this stage he is going through. There isn't much you can do to force a picky child to eat.
However, maybe you could make sure to buy the higher quality kosher hot dogs with no fillers and preservatives in them. At least then you know that he is getting real meat and not hoofs and wastes like they say is in the cheap hot dogs. I'm sure they are more expensive but it would be worth it to know they are more healthy if this is all he will eat.
Good luck!! Two year olds can be the sweetest little things, but also the most challenging age.

Just wanted to clarify, that I didn't suggest that you force feed your son anything! I just meant that ultimately, you have control over your toddler's diet and the quality of food that he eats. If it bothers you that he eats mostly hot dogs, don't buy them reguarly and he will eat other things. My two year old loves cheese and crackers and she eats it for breakfast lunch and dinner! i try to give her other things that will balance her diet first while she is hungry enough to be interested, but it's all about the cheese with her:). I did read a study about toddler's eating habbits that was interesting. It basically said that they tend to get on kicks where they will only eat cheese, or apples or whatever they enjoy at the time. As the favorite foods change which happens every week or two they eventually get what they need nutritionally. I'm not sure how credible this study is but interesting none the less.

I am sorry-- I think that came across to you that I was directing it at you. I wasn't at all---in fact, I think we were posting at the same time, because when I answered her, she hadn't gotten any responses yet, and then after I posted and it went back, yours was there before mine.
So it wasn't directed at you AT ALL. Just wanted to let you know so you don't think I was being a brat to you!!! :)

maybe try some veggie dogs. something that has more nutrition. while i know some kids can be very picky, there must be something else he likes you just havent tapped into it yet! make sure he is taking a daily vitamin too. (talk to your dr if your water isnt flouridated you need vitamin/flouride combo). we all know hotdogs arent the most nutritious, but if that is all he will eat what do you do? when my son was little id chop or blend veggies and put into spaghetti sauce, or even hamburger. maybe there is a kiddie video you can get that shows fun foods that if he sees the characters eating he might want to try too, you never know! im sure had he didnt know what a hot dog was he would find another food he liked. i suppose it will just take time and a waste of foods until you find the right ones lol. or like others said , dont sweat it for now.

i was going to suggest the same as pertykitty. i would try veggie dogs. there is way too much cr@p in regular hotdogs to eat that many a day, but i also understand that it can be very difficult to change a toddler's eating habits. and just make sure you keep offering other food options, especially when you sit together as a family for meals. eventually he may finally agree to try something he sees mom and dad eat often. when i worked with 3's, i often found that when we put a tiny bit on the plate, many of the children would end up tasting it. of course there was loud protest when we put it there, but we calmly replied that they can chose not to eat it. it actually surprised me how many of the children ended up trying it. some would try it during that first seating with that particular food on their plate; others would go through the process several times before they tried it. i also found it was very effective to have the children sit at the table and wait for everyone to finish eating. and we would leave their plates there. again, we acknowledged that they were finished and did not want what was on their plates. we calmly told them they don't have to eat it, and that we were waiting for everyone else to finish. it's amazing how many ended up picking at the food and even cleaning their plate when we left it there. We made sure to keep conversations going, and to not draw attention to the fact that they were still eating (after all, eating problems are often a control/power issue. we didn't want them to see that we knew we were winning that battle!)

I agree with peek (I just about always do). Give lots of nutritious choices and he will eat, he won't starve.

Both my kids eat just about everything. I think it is because we eat a varied diet and once they had teeth, they ate whatever I was dishing up. Right now my ds, age 3.5 years is addicted to hummus. He dips veggies, sandwiches and every thing else in it. He has stinky garlic breath, but I know it's healthy.

Make sure you set a good example for your child and eat healthily. Personally I am not a huge fan of processed anything.....nitrates, preservatives...not good. My sil in a very picky eater, and surprise, surprise her kids eat nothing but junk.

Have you googled something like "hot dogs and children" before? I have. Hot dogs are not something you want to be feeding children under 5 on a regular basis. The nitrates and nitrites cause cancer in children. I think they even say something like you shouldn't feed a kid maybe 5 or 6 at the most a month (maybe 10, can't remember). I don't want to scare you but it's true. It's also the reason why pregnant ladies are supposed to avoid them because it is not good for fetal development. My advice is if he really wants to eat hot dogs, you need to splurge and buy the organic, nitrate and nitrite free hot dogs. Still not the healthiest but at least you'll have peace of mind.

My son who is now 10yrs old was pretty much the same way. Hot dogs dipped in ketchup!! Not even on a bun. LOL

My pediatrician told me that as long as there was hot dogs, bologna, or peanut butter in the house, he wasn't going to starve. To not let him eat them raw, to be sure they were COOKED through. And to give him a good multiviamin everyday. That eventually he would out grow that phase. And he did!!

I used to have to puree vegetables to add to spaghetti sauce, put them in hamburgers, meat loaf, etc. You can even puree veggies to a paste and mix them with ketchup to go on the hot dogs. Buy the all beef hotdogs if you are going to contine to serve them. Most kids probably wouldn't care for veggie dogs after tasting the real deal.

Don't give in to tantrums. Put the food in front of them, and if they don't eat, take it away. Keep fresh fruit and veggies around for snacks. Let them use dips if they want to make the veggies taste better, put peanut butter (if not allergic) on fruit. Frozen berries are a good treat some toddlers will eat. Let them see you snacking on all these things, too.

If your child screams and cries, and you give in every time and give them the hotdogs, he/she is manipulating you sucessfully. Hot dogs aren't a bad thing occasionally, if the whole family is being served hotdogs. But once you start letting a 2 year old run the kitchen, you're in trouble.

we have eaten the veggie "nuggets" and they are actually pretty good! i agree with you cant let a toddler run the kitchen. i almost never made a seperate meal for my son. if he didnt like it tough. now if we were eating steak and i know he hated it back then, i would make him chicken instead. i did read too that tidbit about cancer and hotdogs. if you look in some of the parent magazines, or maybe find a kids cookbook, some recipies make foods look like fun. making shapes and creatures out of the meal. maybe you could try something like that. i think if they get involved in making it, even young, and you get them excited about eating right, they will participate. good luck!!

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